Antirrhinum plant named ‘Sant218A’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Antirrhinum  plant named ‘Sant218A’, characterized by its outwardly spreading, trailing and low mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; freely flowering habit; and flowers that are white in color.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Antirrhinum×hybrida cultivar Sant218A.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Antirrhinum plant, commercially known as a trailing Snapdragon, botanically known as Antirrhinum hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Sant218A.

The new Antirrhinum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely flowering Antirrhinums with trailing and mounded plant habit, vigorous growth habit, large flowers and attractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Antirrhinum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 1999 in Ter Aar, The Netherlands, of an unnamed selection of Antirrhinum hybrida, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with an unnamed selection of Antirrhinum hybrida, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Antirrhinum was discovered and selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Stavenisse, The Netherlands in 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings since 2001, in Ter Aar, The Netherlands has shown that the unique features of this new Antirrhinum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sant218A have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sant218A’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sant218A’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading, trailing and low mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Flowers that are white in color.

Plants of the new Antirrhinum differ from the parental selections primarily in plant size and vigor.

Plants of the new Antirrhinum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Balumwhitim, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,711. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Antirrhinum differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Balumwhitim in flower size as plants of the cultivar Balumwhitim had smaller flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Antirrhinum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical plants of ‘Sant218A’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of ‘Sant218A’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar Sant218A have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., under commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse during the winter and spring with day temperatures about 24° C., night temperatures about 18° C. and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants used for the photographs and description were about 16 weeks from planting rooted cuttings in one-gallon containers with five plants per container. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Antirrhinum hybrida cultivar Sant218A. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unknown selection of Antirrhinum hybrida, not             patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Antirrhinum hybrida, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 10 days at 21° C.             Winter: About 11 days at 20° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 30 days at 21° C.             Winter: About 35 days at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; outwardly spreading, trailing             and low mounded plant habit. Freely branching habit; dense             and busy growth habit; about ten lateral branches per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 16 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread), single plant.—About 18 cm.         -   Vigor.—Moderate growth rate; vigorous.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 24 cm. Diameter: About             2.5 mm. Internode length, flowering branches: About 1.5 cm.             Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite before flowering;             alternate after flowers develop; simple. Length: About             3.5 cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Rounded to             broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Venation             pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing and fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: 146A. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper and             lower surfaces: 146B. Petiole length: About 7 mm. Petiole             diameter: About 1.5 mm. Petiole color, upper and lower             surfaces: 146A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single bi-labiate personate flowers             arranged in loose terminal racemes. Freely flowering habit,             usually about three to five open flowers and about four             flower buds per raceme. Flowers face mostly outwardly or             drooping. Flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, spring             until autumn; flowering continuous during this period.             Plants start flowering about 16 weeks after planting rooted             cuttings.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 6.75 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Flower length.—About 2.8 cm.         -   Flower width.—About 2.6 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: 155A.         -   Corolla.—Shape/arrangement: Broadly tubular; five modified             petals; upper two and lower three petals fused. Petal lobe             apices: Rounded. Petal lobe margin: Entire. Length, upper             petal lobes: About 2.5 cm. Length, lower petal lobes: About             1.4 cm. Width, upper petal lobes: About 1.8 cm. Width, lower             petals lobes: About 1 cm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces             of petal lobes: Slightly pubescent; velvety. Texture,             throat: Pubescent. Color: When opening, all petal lobes,             upper surface: 155B; small spot on lip bulge, 5A. When             opening, all petal lobes, lower surface: 155D. Fully opened,             all petal lobes, upper surface: 155D; spot on lip bulge, 5A.             Fully opened, all petal lobes and tube, lower surface: 155D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower; fused at             base. Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape:             Elliptic. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: 146A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Angle: About 15° from             the stem. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity: Four per             flower. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Oval,             bi-lobed. Anther color: 13A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: 13C. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One per flower.             Pistil length: About 1.8 cm. Style length: About 1.3 cm.             Style color: 157A. Stigma color: 145B. Ovary color: 145D.         -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Antirrhinum have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Antirrhinum. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Antirrhinum have been     observed to tolerate temperatures from −5 to 32° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Antirrhinum plant named ‘Sant218A’, as illustrated and described. 